If the presentations at Google I/O last month were any indication, Android Pay is growing quite quickly. Several new features were announced, but most were still only demos, not available to the public. A fresh update to the Android Pay app came out yesterday and a teardown reveals a few of those key features are either ready to launch or getting closer. There's also work being done on a map that will show merchants in close proximity that accept Android Pay, and a shortcut already showing up that will direct users to apps with Android Pay integration.

What's New

Unofficial Changelog: (stuff we found)

Added a shortcut to a list of apps that support Android Pay

Apps that accept it

Google's push to get Android Pay into mainstream use has certainly been a struggle, but there has been some good traction over the last few months. While we mostly think of it for contactless payments in brick & mortar retailers, Android Pay is also quickly growing as a solution for online and in-app purchases. Google wants to make it a little easier to discover apps that have implemented support and offer a seamless payment experience.

The latest update to Android Pay adds a new action to the main overflow menu titled "Apps that accept it." It launches into a Play Store page featuring apps that support Android Pay as a purchasing method. The list includes the likes of ride share apps like Uber and Lyft, food delivery services like Grubhub and Eat24, car rental and booking platforms, and plenty of other service and online shopping apps. This is just a list of featured apps, not a full list, but there are about 40 on the page at the time of this post.

If you've been looking for an opportunity to try with Android Pay on your phone, this is the easiest way to identify suitable apps and maybe discover some you didn't know about before.

Teardown

Disclaimer: Teardowns are based on evidence found inside of apks (Android's application package) and are necessarily speculative and usually based on incomplete information. It's possible that the guesses made here are totally and completely wrong. Even when predictions are correct, there is always a chance that plans could change or may be canceled entirely. Much like rumors, nothing is certain until it's officially announced and released.

The features discussed below are probably not live yet, or may only be live for a small percentage of users. Unless stated otherwise, don't expect to see these features if you install the apk.

Nearby merchants

While we're on the subject of finding ways to use Android Pay, Google is also working on a real-world counterpart to the list of apps mentioned above. Users will be able to open up a map of their current location and show markers for the surrounding retailers that accept Android Pay.

The strings don't really add much of interest beyond the base description of the feature. Of course, it's clearly spelled out that Android Pay needs access to the Location permission (for Marshmallow and above).

While most of us are still a long way from completely abandoning plastic cards and cash, a map full of retailers friendly to Android Pay could certainly inspire some confidence about making a trip through some places with just a phone.

Transport for London

Google announced the launch of Android Pay in the UK at the start of Google I/O, but you may have missed another interesting announcement if you weren't watching the developer sessions later that day. During a slot titled Android Pay everywhere, Google announced integration with Transport for London (TfL), a local government agency responsible for all of the large-scale forms of transit in the Greater London area, and a payment collector at many stations. Apple Pay was the first to launch smartphone-based payments with TfL, and now Google is doing the same. I've got the demo cued up below.

Transport for London Text

<string name="map_button_name_tfl">Map of your journey</string>
<string name="tfl_free_rollup_text">"You've either reached your TfL weekly limit or Android Pay didn't receive details for this transaction. Check your bank statement for the final amount."</string>
<string name="tfl_free_rollup_title">"Where's the final amount?"</string>
<string name="tfl_tap_disclaimer">At the end of the day, Transport for London will group all your journeys and charge the final amount</string>

The strings don't really reveal anything about the service that isn't already public. TfL's regular riders can set a weekly limit for how much they're willing to spend on travel, and the trips are compiled at the end of the day to produce a final charge (to reduce transaction fees resulting from multiple separate charges). And of course, the "Map of your journey" string simply refers to the map that is generated for the stops you take during the day–it's shown in the video.

I'm not in London, so I can't test if this is live yet. However, it has been about a month since the demo and it seems the Android Pay team is eagerly moving on this project, so it's probably either live with this release or should be turned on very shortly.

Loyalty Program Signups

The Android Pay sessions at Google I/O were actually quite dense with demos, introducing various ways Android Pay has grown for users, merchants, banks, and developers. One of the other big additions is a streamlined sign-up process for loyalty and membership programs, including auto-filled data and instant submission. Again, I've got the demo cued up for you.

Loyalty Program Resources

<string name="signup_agreement">"By continuing, you agree to share this info with %1$s and you'll be sent to a %1$s sign-up page"</string>
<string name="signup_info_description">This info is needed to sign up. You can edit it on the next screen.</string>
<string name="signup_share_confirmation">Share this info with %1$s?</string>

Obviously, loyalty cards are already supported in Android Pay, but only for existing accounts. This addition will make it possible to create new accounts immediately from within the app. The basic idea is that merchants will design a simple sign-up form for their loyalty programs and customers interested in joining will have their details automatically filled in from a personal profile.

Google Wallet users probably remember that this was actually offered prior to the Android Pay rebranding. However, signups were limited to just a few companies Google had worked with directly. The announcement at I/O points to a simpler integration for businesses, making it easier for them to create and modify forms in a merchant console run by Google.

Judging by the demos, we can probably expect Walgreens and Chili's to be among the first companies to offer streamlined signups, but there will probably be quite a few more showing up after those two go live.

Download

The APK is signed by Google and upgrades your existing app. The cryptographic signature guarantees that the file is safe to install and was not tampered with in any way. Rather than wait for Google to push this download to your devices, which can take days, download and install it just like any other APK.

Canada. But it's coming! I can verify with my bank. They receive it but they are currently refusing everything.

haissam93

what exactly do you mean? How did you verify with your bank?

Mayoo

They called me once because one online order was looking suspicious to them. When I confirmed the transaction, they also told me about those "Google Android Pay" (I can't remember the exact name but it was clear) tries of a around a dollar something CAD. It was always refused but they were seing the tries at exactly the times I tried that day.

haissam93

Interesting! May I ask which bank you tried to add to android pay? When I try to add my cards, TD cards throw an error, while Scotiabank cards say that it is not supported

Mayoo

It was NBC. You can call them to see the last transactions on your CC. They should see those tries.

leganzish

Still no support for rooted {insert phone model} /s

It makes me sad because I want Android Pay, but I'm not willing to trade root for it.

Resistance is not futile!

Still no support for {root}...dang it. I don't so much mess with custom ROMs anymore, but I'm not forking over extra money just to use my hotspot. And on my Note 4, you have to have root.

I get the security issues, I just wish I could mask root effectively. Have tried everything, including xposed and non-xposed.

saf1927

Is there no systemless root on the Note 4? I'm rooted on my 6P and Android Pay works.

Resistance is not futile!

I'll look into it. I heard Google patched that vulnerability to Android Pay, so I didn't even bother. Yours is definitely still working? Please let me know, I'd really like to be able to use Android Pay.

saf1927

It's definitely working here.

Resistance is not futile!

By George it did let me load my American Express and debit card. Haven't the chance to make a purchase, but I do think it'll work (it was stopping me prior to even loading before).

I swear I read that Google had patched the systemless root breach of Android Pay. I've seen it, but ignored it. Glorious day it is!! Thanks a ton!

saf1927

No problem. I did read that too, but figured I'd try anyway and it has been working fine :)

Derik Taylor

Ally gained support today, apparently. No complaints there.

Kaleb Peters

I'm so ready for this to come to Australia. It'll already work on pretty much all of our terminals thanks to contactless NFC payments already being a thing.

vidoardes

The amount of times I've used it in the UK and the shopkeepers have been surprised, they think you need special equipment

Kaleb Peters

Haha. I think what I'm most looking forward to is freaking out all the cashiers. 😂

BrockFunkingSamson

This. I can pay at a McDonald's with my phone but if I go through the drive thru and ask to pay with my phone, they stand there in a completely mind-fucked stupor and say "You can pay with your phone???"

JSo

I didn't know they had the machines to pay with your phone in the drive through. Thought it was just at the counter inside.

BrockFunkingSamson

They aren't "customer-accessable". You have to hand them your unlocked phone like you typically would with your credit/check card.

ReSiS

I just hold on to my phone, and they pass the terminal to me. No way do they get their hands on my phone!

BrockFunkingSamson

Well since i've never successfully payed with my phone through the drive thru, I just assumed that's what would have to be done... I really wouldn't be cool with handing my phone over either (though I can watch them the entire time).

JSo

Eh. I'll stick to using my card in the drive through

saf1927

Last time a cashier asked me "What phone is that? Did they copy Apple too?"...

Alan S

I once used a local equivalent of this in a small corner shop in Ireland and the woman was convinced I broke something! The ignorance of certain merchants about their own tech is baffling sometimes.

vidoardes

I used it in the gift shop at the top of mount Snowdon. They were amazed!

saf1927

With the latest update I do get the TfL disclaimer about the final amount being calculated at the end of the day. It also shows up as "Pending". It didn't with the previous version.

dexgen

I tried it to get on the tube a couple weeks ago and it didn't work for me. Have you had any luck?

saf1927

I haven't tried on the Tube yet, but it worked fine on the bus. The charge shows up as "TfL Bus/Tram" on Android Pay.

Podycust

I've not had a problem using Android pay on the tube since day one! The charges show up as "tfl rail"

It would be great if they didn't go out of their way to play cat and mouse with root users. I understand why they do it, but it's annoying nonetheless.

larry harper

working in N beta 4 for anyone?

JSo

I'm afraid to update and have it stop working with Systemless Root and Systemless Xposed.

Gjorgi Lazarovski

Some people reported it working even after this update

JSo

Thanks

Harris Mirza

Not sure about Xposed but if you have systemless root and run the following commands then the phone passes the CTS check, then only a Play Services update can break it.

adb shell
su
chmod 751 /su/bin
rm -r /su/xbin_bind

JSo

I never knew about that. Systemless Xposed works right now (kinda). Needs to be toggled off and rebooted first but it does the job. I was just wondering if Google found a way to block that.

TheBest

STILL no Chase Bank!

Duder12

Chase is intentionally avoiding it so I don't know what you are waiting for. Switch to Citi

PerhapsNever

THIS. Move to ANY other bank besides Chase.

tim242

Wait no more!

Denigrate

You must have a good credit score.

tim242

Around 730. It was a long road to get over the 700 mark!

Denigrate

Congratulations :^D
Chase Sapphire and Freedom are great cards to have.

TheBest

Why do you say that? He has Citi Simplicity - that card is for people who are constantly in debt and want to pay off their debts slowly. He only has the Sapphire, not Sapphire Preferred. Anybody can get the Sapphire.

Denigrate

I said good, not great and not everybody can get the Chase Sapphire or the Freedom.

TheBest

That says Samsung Pay.

tim242

I know : )

anees

Android pay has been working as my oyster card (TFL card), ever since I got android pay in the UK but it's just as a contactless, touch and pay and doesnt have any specific TFL features yet

Dzikoo

and TFL guys are unable to validate your ticket as they NFC reader are not compatible with Android. I have rised this issue with TFL the replied that they are going to impalement it later this year.

nps_ca

Don't understand your comment - you talking on a travel pass? For ad hoc touch and pay it's working fine for me . Using a Nexus 5X and standard Android Pay.

Dzikoo

basic function - payment - works fine. Nothing more. You cannot check what station you were traveling from and to, no notification about missed tap out.

Notifications if you forgot to tap out is exactly what was being demoed at Google IO in one of the many videos about Android Pay - so if it doesn't work right now, I doubt it will be long before it does.

King_Android

Apple Pay and Android Pay should be accepted at all transit locations...

Vantius

I like the loyalty program signups, but I wish there was a way to manually put in membership cards for places like bars and clubs.

nps_ca

Yeah, older Wallet used to let you add any card and if it wasn't in their merchant list you could add it anyway - seems like it now only allows loyalty from their database list of merchants. Shame

I've used a US issued USAA Visa on London Transport no issues - USAA generates their own virtual number for the account and are NOT blocking that virtual number for international use. Was able to tap in and out and it did bill to my card - this was actually right at UK android pay launch like what, 2 months ago. Guess the post teardown adds the limits for daily use.

Still waiting for USAA debit cards to get added - had my old now replaced mastercard working with the Google issued virtual card

KG

Hate to hijack the thread, but is anyone else experiencing issues with fingerprint authentication with Android Pay on Nexus 6P? Using the fingerprint always results in an endless cycle of rescaning the terminal and providing the fingerprint until I give up and put in the pin instead of the fingerprint. Makes the whole experience very frustrating...

saf1927

You are not supposed to. Android Pay does not require Pin/Fingerprint to pay. Simply unlock the device and tap. Or is that what you mean? I always unlock with the fingerprint and pay.

KG

That was my understanding as well, but even with the device unlocked, scanning the terminal bring up the screen to input fingerprint or pin

saf1927

That's strange. For me it works after unlocking the screen.

Alan S

Yesterday on my LG G3 my Visa Debit Card with Contactless brushed up against my phone and I got a popup screen for Android Pay, it couldn't verify my bank though. I live in Ireland. Is this a coincidence or I wonder are they planning a launch here sometime soon?

Herman A

@Cody TFL integration was partly there from day 1. It has always been able to calculate daily charges. It just wasn't able to show the stations used or the map of the journey, and I still don't think it can though I haven't tested it. Oh, and Android Pay is noticeably slower than just using an Oyster Card at the barrier.

Derik Taylor

P.S. Ally Bank is now supported apparently. Just added my card today, and it isn't even in the list of compatible banks! :O

Max

Still not available in The Netherlands, the rest of the EU and the world except the US and UK.... Common Google, don't leave us behind!!!!

Felix

Yeah, neither in germany..
Screw you Google..

Nulty Mc

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Pierre Gardin

TfL"payments"? Does that mean u still can't swipe your NFC phone to open the gates at metro stations?